Falmouth girls edge Caribou, claim state ‘B’ crown

Caribou goalkeeper Morgan Swan deflects a shot over the crossbar in the second half of the Class B state soccer final against Falmouth in Falmouth, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010. Falmouth defeated Caribou 1-0. Bangor Daily News/Michael C. York

FALMOUTH — Senior Jessica DiPhilipo scored on a penalty kick with 15 minutes left in the second half Saturday as the Falmouth Yachtsmen outlasted stubborn Caribou 1-0 in the Class B girls soccer state final.

The win gave Falmouth (12-5-1) its second state title in three years and its fourth gold ball in the last six years while extending Western Maine’s hold on the Class B girls’ soccer championship to nine years since Winslow won it all in 2001.

Caribou, coming off its first Eastern Maine title since winning as a Class A program in 1988, ends its season with a 14-3-1 record.

DiPhilipo was awarded a penalty kick after Caribou was red-carded for a deliberate hand ball in the penalty area as Falmouth applied major pressure after a corner kick.

Caribou goalie Morgan Swan guessed correctly, dove left and got her left hand on the shot, but could not prevent the ball from going into the net.

The goal was representative of a dominant second half by the Yachtsmen, who outshot Caribou 10-1 after intermission and largely pinned the Vikings in their defensive end.

Caribou had to play one player down the rest of the way due to the red card, but generated its best bid of the second half with just 2:40 left on a direct kick by Paige Small that sailed just over the crossbar.

Falmouth — playing on its home field — finished with a 17-7 advantage in shots, with the Yachtsmen’s Elizabeth Estabrook preserving the shutout by making five saves — all in the first half. Swan made six stops for Caribou.

The Vikings had the best scoring chance of the first half, 10 minutes into the period when Small worked the ball deep into the right corner, then grounded a cross to the goal crease that teammate Lydia Kieffer one-timed toward the goal, only to have Estabrook make a sliding save.

Caribou midfielder Jenna Selander also had a couple of early bids, one a shot from the left wing three minutes into the match that Estabrook caught at the near post, and the second a similar blast from 25 yards out with 2:40 left in the period that Estabrook tipped just wide of the far post.